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Table 1 Inter-rater reliability. Fifty participants tested by A (the physiotherapist) and B (the research assistant). The five tests that required manual fixation are italicized. ICC in bold text indicates acceptable ICC (> .60). The mean difference between the measurements by A and B is compared, p-value in bold text indicates a significant difference (p < .05). + indicates acceptable, – indicates poor inter-rater reliability.

From: The reliability of a 10-test package for patients with prolonged back and neck pain: could an examiner without formal medical education be used without loss of quality? A methodological study

10-test package (including 16 sub-tests):

Forward bending (cm)

Modified Schober (cm)

Lateral bending (cm)

Trunk rotation (°)

Active-straight-leg raise (°)

Cervical bending (°)

Cervical rotation (°)

Abdom. endurance (seconds)

Mod. Biering-Sørensen (sec.)

Modified PILE (kg)

 
   

Right

Left

Right

Left

Right

Left

Forward

Backward

Right

Left

  

Lumbar

Cervical

All of the 50 participants

                

ICC

.99

.79

.93

.95

.82

.85

.94

.90

.61

.84

.70

.69

.92

.91

.97

.97

95% CI of ICC

.98–1.00

.67–.88

.89–.96

.91–.97

.70–.89

.75–.91

.91–.97

.86–.95

.45–.78

.78–.92

.54–.83

.51–.81

.87–.96

.85–.95

.95–.98

.94–.98

SE of measurement

1.2

.7

1.3

1.1

6

6

4

6

7

5

6

6

8

16

2.2

1.8

Mean

6.4

6.8

17.9

18.1

48

47

68

70

52

65

65

68

32

79

27.8

19.3

Mean difference

-.1

.2

.3

.4

1

-1

3

4

4

3

2

1

-2

-8

.5

.4

95% CI of mean diff.

-.6–.4

-.1–.5

-.2–.8

-.1–.9

-1–3.7

-2.8–1.8

1.2–4.6

1.6–6.0

1.2–6.7

1.3–5.1

-.4–4

-1.0–3.9

-5.4–1.4

-14.3–1.1

-.4–1.3

-.3–1.2

p-value

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

.002

.001

.006

.001

NS

NS

NS

.02

NS

NS

Inter-rater reliability

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

-

-

-

+

+

+

-

+

+

30 patients

                

ICC

.99

.94

.98

.97

.85

.88

.96

.96

.52

.81

.64

.68

.90

.96

.98

.98

95% CI of ICC

.98–1.00

.90–.97

.93–.98

.95–.98

.74–.91

.81–.93

.95–.98

.94–.98

.36–.74

.69–.89

.44–.78

.49–.80

.85–.95

.92–.98

.96–.99

.96–.99

SE of measurement

1.4

.4

1.0

.9

6

5

4

4

8

5

6

7

6

10

2.1

1.5

Mean

9.2

6.6

16.4

16.8

46

43

64

65

48

60

61

66

16

54

24.6

17.2

Mean difference

.0

.2

.1

-.2

1

2

2

2

5

4

2

-1

-3

-2

.3

-.1

95% CI of mean diff.

-.8–.8

-.1–.4

-.5–.6

-.7–.3

-1.6–4.3

-.9–4.3

.1–3.9

.2–4.2

.8–8.9

.9–6.3

-1.7–4.9

-4.1–3.2

-6.0–.2

-7.3–3.5

-.8–1.4

-9–.6

p-value

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

.04

.04

.02

.01

NS

NS

.04

NS

NS

NS

Inter-rater reliability

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

-

-

-

+

+

-

+

+

+

20 healthy subjects

                

ICC

.95

.22

.79

.85

.75

.75

.84

.70

.59

.86

.66

.63

.86

.69

.95

.94

95% CI of ICC

.92–.97

.07–.46

.68–.89

.84–.95

.59–.85

.64–.87

.78–.92

.62–.86

.40–.76

.80–.93

.49–.80

.58–.84

.76–.92

.59–.85

.92–.97

.91–.97

SE of measurement

.9

1.0

1.5

1.1

6

6

5

7

6

4

5

4

12

22

2.3

2.1

Mean

2.2

7.1

20.1

20.2

50

52

75

77

58

72

70

72

55

116

32.5

22.4

Mean difference

-.3

.3

.8

1.4

2

-4

4

6

3

3

2

4

0

-16

.7

1.3

95% CI of mean diff.

-.8–.3

-.4–.9

-.3–1.8

.6–2.1

-2.4–5.4

-7.8–.3

.8–7.6

1.5–10.8

-1.2–6.3

.0–5.3

-1.0–5.2

1.6–7.0

-8.0–7.3

-30.7–2.1

-.8–2.2

-.1–2.7

p-value

NS

NS

NS

.001

NS

NS

.02

.01

NS

.047

NS

.004

NS

.03

NS

NS

Inter-rater reliability

+

-

+

-

+

+

-

-

-

-

+

-

+

-

+

+

  1. ICC = Intra-class-correlation coefficient. NS = Not significant. SE = Standard error